Juneau cruise port in October

Hi there!

Is there anything worthy to do in Juneau in October?!

Well, I’m here to tell you that I did an Alaska cruise to Juneau in October on the Norwegian Sun, and I had a perfect day in Juneau!

 

 

That said…

Reality check!

It’s probably not going to be a perfect day for every cruise ship that arrives in Juneau in October 2025.

If you’re going to Juneau in October, then you need to be prepared for a cold and rainy day. This includes a puffer jacket and rain gear.

In fact, just a few days earlier than I arrived to my perfect weather day in Juneau, the Norwegian Bliss had a port cancellation for Juneau because of weather.

 

The year I did my October cruise to Alaska, basically Alaska cruises in the first 2.5 weeks of October had terrible weather.

This means rough seas, bad weather, and what a lot of people would call all around miserable conditions.

If you’re doing an Alaska cruise in October, this is what you should be prepared for.

 

But, it IS possible to have PERFECT weather in October too!

Well, as perfect as it can be for October in Juneau!

Basically the very last cruise ships that went to Juneau at the end of October had really good weather.

 

 

Weather forecasts for Juneau and the rest of Alaska are generally said to not be reliable several weeks out.

Of course, even knowing this, I just can’t help but check the weather anyway. 😆

So I started checking the weather every now and then for Juneau and other cruise ports starting a few weeks out.

The weather forecast was showing rain or clouds. This was disappointing, but then not unexpected, so you can’t be too disappointed.

Clouds also meant no chance of northern lights, since if there’s no opening in the clouds, you won’t be able to see anything. So this was also disappointing. But, it is what you need to expect when you’re going to Juneau in October.

Yes, it’s possible to see northern lights from a cruise ship in Alaska!

 

I was checking the weather every few days, and the forecast was always basically the same. No sun.

Then…

I was sitting in Honolulu Airport waiting for my flight to Seattle for the start of my Alaska cruise. So this was 3 days before the cruise started.

I checked the weather for Juneau.

SUN!!!!

My jaw literally DROPPED!

And… Juneau ending up being GREAT weather when I was there! Well, it was cold, but it was sunny!

And clear skies at night throughout the cruise also meant that lots of people got great pictures of the northern lights with their phone too! Pro tip: Use NIGHT MODE on your phone to get the best northern lights pics!

 

More below about things to do in Juneau in October!

 

Things to do in Juneau in October during your Alaska cruise

With great weather, I was quite happy with my October day in Juneau!

My pictures are from October 25, 2023. I was on the Norwegian Sun, and it was the last cruise ship of the season in Juneau! Your experience may vary!

 

 

The high temperature in Juneau on October 25 was in the high 40s. 🥶 Actually it’s not bad if you’re prepared for it! As they say in Alaska… there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear! They say that for hiking and running too. 🤪

In addition to Juneau, my cruise ship went to Skagway, Ketchikan, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, and Glacier Bay National Park.

Here is about Juneau in October!

 

 

1. Juneau whale watching tour

Juneau is one of the best cruise ports for whale watching. You want to do your whale watching tour in Juneau or Icy Strait Point.

That said, whale watching in October is something that you do with low expectations.

Everyone wants to see a humpback whale “breaching” (aka jumping out of the water) because those are all the epic pictures you see in the whale watching tour ads!

The reality is that it is actually not very common, but you don’t need to see a whale breaching in order to have a whale sighting.

The more common ways to see humpback whales are the spouting that they do (you see a misty spray shoot up into the air) and the whale swimming along.

Also pretty common on whale watching tours with some patience is to see the whale do a deep dive. When they do this, you will see their tail (aka fluke) as they make their dive.

For most people, this is exciting and seeing a whale do a deep dive makes the whale watching tour worth it!

 

Your boat captain might also take you past a buoy to see sea lions hanging out.

At the small boat harbor, also be on the lookout for jellyfish, starfish (aka seastars), and harbor seals! All of these were seen once we returned to the harbor after our whale watching tour! Although sadly, I missed seeing the harbor seals, but others saw them. So be sure to look for them!

 

Whale watching tours in Juneau are out of Auke Bay. Any tour you sign up for, whether it’s through the cruise ship or direct, will include a shuttle from the cruise port to Auke Bay.

See more about Juneau whale watching tours.

 

👆 You might see sea lions in October during your whale watching tour in Juneau! Sea lions in Alaska like to hang out on buoys!

 

Whale watching tours in October

Humpback whales aren’t as commonly seen in Juneau in October as they are in the summer or even early fall. The whales have started migrating to warmer waters like Hawaii, California, and Mexico.

Still, if you’re on a cruise ship, you will be able to do a whale watching tour in Juneau in October.

When I did a whale watching tour in October, I did see a number of whales, including a whale tail several times.

The tour guide of my whale watching tour said that the week prior they had to cover quite a bit of water to find a whale… but they did see at least one.

The tour guide also said they saw at least one whale every single day that they did their tour in 2023. And since it was the last tour of the season (since it was the last day with a cruise ship in town!), there was a whale sighting every day of the Alaska cruise season in 2023.

Of course, whales are wild and do what they want! Whale behaviors can change, so just because it was like this in 2023 doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same every year!

So again, if you do a whale watching tour in October, expect that you might not get a good whale sighting.

It’s always a good day out on the water, though!

 

👆 A day out on the water in Juneau is never a bad day!

 

👆 You will get beautiful views sailing in and out of Auke Bay… and during the whole whale watching tour really!

 

 

How to do a whale watching tour

You can book a whale watching tour through NCL. I didn’t do that.

I did a whale watching tour with Harv and Marv’s. This tour company is frequently recommended in facebook groups which is why I chose them.

 

 

2. Brotherhood Bridge

From the Brotherhood Bridge, you can get a distant view of the Mendenhall Glacier. (map)

The way I saw the Brotherhood Bridge was on the shuttle from the cruise port to Auke Bay for the whale watching tour.

This was actually the second time I was on a whale watching tour that made this stop. But the first time I didn’t know to walk over towards the bridge. So I didn’t.

If you don’t want over to the bridge, you can still see the glacier (if the weather allows), but it’s across the field.

The second time, I knew better!

I think the view of the Mendenhall Glacier is better from the bridge since you get the view of the river too.

So, if you’re on a tour that makes a roadside stop to see the Mendenhall Glacier from a distance, be sure to walk over to the Brotherhood Bridge!

 

👆 You can get views of the Mendenhall River with a glimpse of the Mendenhall Glacier in the background!

 

👆 Standing on the Brotherhood Bridge.

 

How to get to Brotherhood Bridge

If you’re not on a tour that makes a stop here, there is a bus stop that’s a 5 minute walk from the Brotherhood Bridge. (map)

Although you want to keep in mind the bus timings, as it would also mean you’ll need to wait for the bus to come.

There’s a bus stop in downtown Juneau that’s about a 15 minute walk from the cruise port.

I’ve taken the public bus in Juneau a couple of times, and I used the google maps public transit option to navigate.

On google maps, I do see there’s a trail near the Brotherhood Bridge that has good reviews, so you can do that to make the trip more worth it. Read the reviews.

If it’s raining, it will probably not be worth it to go here by bus, because chances are you will not be able to see the glacier from so far away.

 

 

3. Downtown Juneau totem trail

The totem trail in downtown Juneau is one of the easiest things to do from the cruise ship.

As soon as you step off the cruise ship, you will soon be on the boardwalk right alongside the cruise ships.

If you follow this boardwalk, it will lead you to the main part of downtown Juneau.

And it’s along this boardwalk that the totem trail starts.

So you don’t need to try hard to see totem poles in Juneau!

If you want to be more intentional about seeing totem poles, you can use a map to follow the downtown Juneau totem trail: totem pole pocket guide pdf

It’s just a walk around the cruise port and downtown Juneau, so you can definitely do this in October, and no matter the weather! Just be prepared for walking in the rain!

 

👆 You can walk a few minutes from the cruise ship and start seeing the totem poles! Continue walking through downtown Juneau for more totem poles.

 

For more totem poles during your cruise, see about Ketchikan totem poles.

 

 

4. Goldbelt tram

The Goldbelt tram is basically right at the cruise port. (This is the same thing as the Mount Roberts tram.)

Depending on which specific location your cruise ship docks at, you might literally just need to walk 1-2 minutes to get from the cruise ship to the tram station!

So this is another easy thing you can do, although it’s not free. You need to buy the tram ticket.

The tram is a cable car that goes up to the top.

From the tram station at the top, there are a number of things to do from the Goldbelt tram, including hiking trails.

But before you start your hike, be sure to catch the film in the theater to learn a bit about the area’s Native Alaskans.

There is also a restaurant where you can buy food and drink, and you can make that your Mount Roberts tram activity.

 

👆 You can walk a few minutes from the cruise ship and hop on the Goldbelt Tram aka the Mount Roberts tram!

 

👆 As you are taking the tram up, you can look down to see the cruise ship! Be sure you get on this side of the tram so you can have this view!

 

Mount Roberts tram in October

In October 2023, the Mount Roberts tram operated when there was a cruise ship in town, through the last cruise ship of the season.

During the regular Alaska cruise season, you can expect the line for the tram to be quite long because there will be passengers from multiple cruise ships in port.

In the summer it’s not unusual for there to be 5 cruise ships in Juneau at once in the summer.

In October, your cruise ship might be the only one in port.

This means you will encounter minimal wait for the Mount Roberts tram.

When I went to go up the Mount Roberts tram in the afternoon, I basically walked straight onto the tram.

To go back down in the evening, the wait was for the tram to come back up, so it was a minimal wait.

That last tram down was listed as 6pm, which is around the time I took the tram down.

 

You can check the Alaska cruise port schedule for 2025 to see how many ships are scheduled to be in port when you are in Juneau.

 

How to get a Mount Roberts tram ticket

I got my Mount Roberts tram ticket for free by buying my tram ticket as a shore excursion through NCL!

If you booked your NCL cruise that came with the “free at sea” shore excursions credit, then you can too!

The free at sea shore excursions credit is $50 off of one excursion per port for one person in your cabin.

So if you’re not booking any other Juneau excursion through NCL, then you can use that credit to buy a Mount Roberts tram ticket.

And, you should buy this before the cruise starts.

Before the cruise, I noticed that the Mount Roberts tram “excursion” was $50. Once on the cruise ship, it was $70.

When booking the “Mount Roberts tram” excursion through NCL, you are just buying the ticket, not an organized tour.

Otherwise, you can buy the Mount Roberts tram ticket directly through the Goldbelt Tram website, or you can buy it when you arrive directly at the tram station.

Once you have a tram ticket, you can ride the Goldbelt Tram as many times as you want. It’s an all-day pass.

 

 

5. Mount Roberts totem trail

One of the hiking trails that you can do once you are at the top Mount Roberts tram station is a trail to see totem poles!

This trail is better than the downtown Juneau totem trail because you get more of a feeling for the Southeast Alaska landscape that is TREES!

The totem trail from the Mount Roberts tram is a nature walk through the forest.

There are a number of totem poles that you can see, and there is also some Native Alaskan art carved into trees.

As a “real” hiking trail, it’s best to wear proper shoes since it’s a rugged dirt trail through the forest.

Otherwise, this is a pretty easy hike that you can do in October.

 

👆 Just a few minutes walk from the tram station at the top is a hiking trail that is lined with totem poles! You will see a totem pole to start your hike from the Mount Roberts tram station! I started the trail at this totem pole at 1:49pm. We will count this spot as starting the hike in reference to how long it takes to get to all the other spots along the trail! I was going at a leisurely pace, and there were some spots I stopped at. Also, I got on the tram near the cruise ship at 1:37pm, so I started my hike 12 minutes later.

 

👆 Walk some more on the totem trail and you will see more totem poles! This was just a few steps away from the first totem pole.

 

6. Hike to Father Brown Cross

From the Mount Roberts tram station, you can hike to Father Brown Cross as your destination for an observation point.

You’ll also see other observation points along the way, along with great views of the Gastineau Channel, which is the waterway that cruise ships go through to get to and from Juneau cruise port.

 

Once you’re at the top Mount Roberts tram station, you’ll see a map for the Mount Roberts Alpine Trail.

This will show you a 1.5 mile trail loop that you can do.

It will also show you where you the way to Father Brown Cross, which you can make as your destination as an observation point.

 

👆 Walk towards the Father Brown Cross and you will be treated with amazing views of Juneau from above. This was at 2:00pm, so 11 minutes after starting the trail.

 

👆 Continuing the walk on the trail towards the Father Brown Cross. This was at 2:03pm, so 14 minutes after starting the trail. I reached the Father Brown Cross at 2:11pm, so it took 22 minutes to get there. I did stop at the observation deck along the way.

 

👆 This was continuing past the Father Brown Cross. This was at 2:27pm, so it took 38 minutes to get here.

 

7. Hike to Gastineau Peak

If you want to do a solid hike when you’re in Juneau on a good weather day, the Gastineau Peak is a hike with incredible views.

This is another hiking trail to do from the top Mount Roberts tram station.

Once you’re at Father Brown Cross, you’ll keep hiking to go to Gastineau Peak.

The views are even better than just hiking to Father Brown Cross.

On the cold but sunny day in October that I did the hike to Gastineau Peak, I did encounter a patch of ice on the way up. It was possible to navigate around it. I actually almost turned around at that point because I wasn’t sure if I would be encountering more ice that would take up the entire width of the trail. But there were some hikers coming down and they said that was the only ice to the top.

On the way down, I encountered a different patch of ice. Because… I didn’t take the same trail down as I did up. And that was NOT intentional!

As it turns out, there are many trails around, and while the trail I went on eventually did link back up to where I came from, it did cause some stress!

So, be very aware of where you came from, and take the same route back!

 

If you are going to hike to Gastineau Peak, you should plan as if you’re doing a solid day hike. (aka properly pack up your hiking backpack!)

I had hiking poles with me, and I used them!

For hiking in general, I recommend that you download google offline maps for Juneau, and also the Alaska map on the mapsme app. Both of these are free.

 

Personally, I would not hike all the way to Gastineau Peak if it’s raining.

The Gastineau Peak trail reviews talk about muddy trails, and on top of that, there was at least one part of the trail that was pretty narrow along a cliff and made me nervous even on a dry trail.

But, I also get scared easily. 🤪

 

👆 Continue hiking towards the Gastineau Peak and you will be treated to incredible views. This was at 3:21pm, so it took me 1 hour 32 minutes to get here.

 

👆 As you make your way to Gastineau Peak, you’ll be hiking along a ridge for more beautiful views. This view was at 4:00pm, so it took me 2 hours and 11 minutes to get here. I reached the actual Gastineau Peak at 4:08pm, so it took me almost 2.5 hours to get there from the top Mount Roberts tram station. Again, I was going at quite the leisurely pace so you can get there faster if you’re an avid hiker! Taking the indirect (wrong) trail back, I got back to the top tram station right around 6pm.

 

 

And that concludes the things I did when I was in Juneau in October! But if it’s your first visit to Juneau, there are a few more things you’ll want to consider doing, as these are super famous things about Juneau!

 

 

8. Mendenhall Glacier visitor center

The Mendenhall Glacier is the most famous glacier in Juneau, and it’s the most famous glacier to go to on land during an Alaska cruise.

This glacier is a part of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area in Tongass National Forest.

Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the US. Read about it!

So by going the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center, you will be stepping foot in the largest national forest in the US!

The most popular way to see the Mendenhall Glacier is to go to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center.

Since I had previously been to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center, and I had other things I wanted to do in Juneau (all of the above!), I didn’t go to the Mendenhall Glacier in October.

But I feel pretty confident that if I would have gone to the Mendenhall Glacier, it would have been a perfect day.

Once you’re at the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center, you can walk up the stairs to see the glacier across the lake from the visitor center. This is one of the best views of the glacier that you can get in this area.

You can also walk a few minutes from the visitor center to go to Photo Point. This is another view of the glacier across the lake.

 

How to get to Mendenhall Glacier visitor center

I previously took the bus to Mendenhall Glacier visitor center. The nearest bus stop is like a mile away.

Otherwise, in October, people went by tour or taxi.

Up through mid-summer 2023, there was a glacier shuttle that you could buy tickets for when you arrived at the cruise port. But these were limited in supply for the year due to national forest commercial (aka tour) regulations, so by October the commercial permits that the shuttle company could get were gone. This did not affect being able to go to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center on your own.

Read more about going to Mendenhall Glacier on your own.

 

 

9. Nugget Falls

Nugget Falls is the most popular waterfalls to go to during an Alaska cruise.

It’s also a part of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, and you’ll start the Nugget Falls Trail from the visitor center.

Basically, you can go to the visitor center, Photo Point, and then start making your way to Nugget Falls!

It’s a relatively easy gravel trail to get to Nugget Falls.

Read more about Nugget Falls.

 

 

10. West Glacier Trail

The best hike to see the Mendenhall Glacier is the West Glacier Trail.

Unlike the Photo Point Trail and visitor center lookout, in which you see the glacier from across the lake, on the West Glacier Trail you will be on the side of the glacier.

So you will get a closer view of the Mendenhall Glacier compared to the visitor center.

This is a “real” hike, though!

This also means that if you want to do a solid forest hike in Alaska, the West Glacier Trail in Tongass National Forest is one to do!

The visitor center, Photo Point, and Nugget Falls don’t really feel all that much like you’re in a massive national forest. If you do the West Glacier Trail, you will feel like you’re in a forest!

 

If you are going to hike the West Glacier Trail, you should plan as if you’re doing a solid day hike. (aka properly pack up your hiking backpack!)

 

Based on having done the Mount Roberts trails in October, I feel that the West Glacier Trail would have been a reasonable trail to do in October when I was in Juneau as well.

If it’s raining, you can still do it, you just want to be prepared for rain and cold! I did the West Glacier Trail on a rainy day in September.

 

The West Glacier Trail is also a part of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, but it’s at a different location than the visitor center. You want to be sure to go to the West Glacier trailhead, not the visitor center.

I went there by bus. The nearest bus stop is like a mile away. (map)

Otherwise I saw people being dropped off by taxi. You’ll probably want to arrange a pick-up time though, in case you don’t get phone signal at the trailhead.

Read more about the West Glacier Trail.

 

 

11. Tracy’s King Crab Shack

Tracy’s King Crab Shack is the most famous restaurant in Juneau among Alaska cruisers, and possibly the most famous restaurant to go to as part of an Alaska cruise.

If you want the true Tracy’s Crab Shack experience (aka the CRAB!) then you can basically treat this as if you’re doing an excursion, in terms of the cost.

As you can imagine, the thing to order at Tracy’s King Crab Shack is the king crab. And Alaskan king crab legs are not cheap! You can see the menu.

 

Tracy’s King Crab Shack is just a few minutes walk from the cruise port, so it’s easy to get to.

 

👆 Walk a few minutes from the cruise ship and you are at Tracy’s King Crab Shack!

 

Tracy’s King Crab Shack in October

In 2023, Tracy’s King Crab Shack was open through the last day of the Alaska cruise season in October!

With as many as 5 cruise ships in Juneau at once in the summer, and Tracy’s King Crab Shack being as famous and as near the cruise port as it is, the line can be long.

But if you’re the only cruise ship in port in October, you can expect a minimal line!

If you decide to go to Juneau earlier in the cruise season during a busy time, then there is an alternate Tracy’s location that’s not as close to the cruise port so you can expect to wait in line for less time.

Read more about the best Alaska restaurants to eat at during your cruise.

 

 

Are there any excursions in Juneau in October?

One of the reasons to not do an Alaska cruise in October is because not all of the epic Juneau excursions will be offered in October.

This does not mean that you have no options if you want to do an organized tour.

Below is the list of shore excursions that were available to book ONCE ON THE CRUISE SHIP during my cruise for the October 25 Juneau port visit.

This means that there might have been more Juneau excursions offered that were not listed once on the cruise ship, because maybe there were excursions that were sold out prior to the start of the cruise…? I am not sure, as I did not look that closely.

Your cruise may vary, but this is to give you an idea of what excursions you might be able to do in October during your cruise to Juneau!

 

NCL Juneau excursions in October:

• Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Bake
• Gold Creek Salmon Bake
• Historic Gold Mine, Panning, and Salmon Bake
• Historic Gold Mine and Pan for Gold
• Goldbelt Tram
• Mendenhall Glacier Explorer
• Brotherhood Bridge and Juneau Tram
• Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest
• Whales, Glaciers, and Rainforest Trails
• Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier Photo Safari
• Discover Alaska’s Whales
• Whale Watch and Salmon Bake
• Sea Kayak Adventure
• Mendenhall Glacier – Guide’s Choice Adventure Hike
• Bike and Brew Glacier View

 

These are the names of the Juneau excursions as they were listed. If you do a google search for the name of the excursion and add “NCL” to your search, you will probably come up with the specific NCL excursion where you can read details about each excursion.

 

HAPPY GOING TO JUNEAU CRUISE PORT IN OCTOBER!